How COVID-19 pandemic affected business excellence: case studies from Greek companies

Abstract

PurposeThis paper is the third part of a research effort that aims to identify how various crises affected basic business processes using Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD’s) industrial excellence framework (IEF) in large organizations.Design/methodology/approachThis research compares three data sets from the same four companies against quality management benchmarks, with a span of more than two decades: (1) data collected in 2005 operating under a financially thriving corporate environment; (2) data collected in 2015, operating under a strong financial crisis and (3) data collected in 2022, operating under the serious COVID-19 crisis.FindingsThe authors identify the characteristics that helped them navigate successfully through almost two crises in a row. These companies successfully navigated crises by applying assessment and continuous improvement processes, forging close relationships with their suppliers and training their people systematically.Practical implicationsThe findings can be adopted by practitioners who wish to navigate their organizations during serious crises. Researchers and academics may also find this study interesting for managing quality during a pandemic.Originality/valueThere are not many studies that investigate how the pandemic influenced the quality management practices in organizations in Greece in sequential crises. This paper brings insights into the enduring advantages of adopting a quality framework.